The Western Regional Minister, Honourable A.E. Amoah has commissioned a school library for Eikwe in the Nzima East District. The library-Nyamekeh Ebellah Memorial Library- was sponsored and financed solely by Ghana's Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, Kabral Blay-Amihere. Speaking at the commissioning of the library last weekend, Ambassador Blay-Amihere said the opening of th library was the fulfilment of a pledge he made five years ago at the launching of his autobiograpghy-FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM-THE AUTOBIOGRAPGHY OF AN AFRICAN JOURNALIST to build libraries in Eikwe and Sefwi Bekwai as his contribution to scholarship and education in Ghana.
The library is named after his late mother, Mary Nyamekeh Ebellah Harrison. Ambassador Blay-Amihere, who said he owed his career as a journalist and diplomat to books, hoped Ghanaian school children, particularly those in the rural areas would be encouraged to take to book reading."I am of the view that kids growing up everywhere in Ghana should be encouraged to befriend books", he said. According to Ambassador Blay-Amihere his next step was to build another library in Sefwi Bekwai, where he attended primary and middle schools, in memory of his father Kobina Amihere and eventually establish a book foundation that will supply free books to children in rural Ghana. He thanked the Chief of Eikwe, Nana Kofi Amihere III, who readily offered the remains of an old post office in the town for building the library..
Ambassador Blay-Amihere also thanked Mr. Gibrine Adam, Chief Exceutive of EPP Books Limited who donated the first set of books for the opening of trhe library and has pledged to renew the library's stock of books from time to time. The Western Regionl Minister, Hon. Amoah who officially comissioned the Nyamekeh Ebellah Memorial Library asked teachers and school children in the area to patronise the library since it will broaden their horizion and help their education. He pledged his personal support for the library by offering to donate handsome cash prizes to students who patronise the library and suggested that there should be an annual quiz for school children in the area.
The Chairman for the occasion, Mr. Frank Buah, a businessman and philanthropist commended the initiave of the sponsor of the library and said it was an example worthy of emulation. "Since government cannot do everthing, it is time private citizens give something back to their societies", he said.
An amount of 45 million cedis was pledged when an Endowment Fund for the Library was launched by an Accra Legal Practitioner, Ekow Awoonor, who hails from Nzima. Present at the commissioning of th library were the district chief executives of Ellembele and Jomoro Districts and Hon. Joe Baidoe Ansah, MP for Effie Kwesimintsim and Deputy Minister for Tourism and Diasporean Relations as well as chiefs from nearby towns and school children of schools in Eikwe.
